Moderate Muslims

Here's a website I bookmarked a long time ago and have ignored it ever since, Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD). There are a lot of articles and interviews linked from the "media" section at this site.

Among the "media" links are several from the organization, The Muslim Canadian Conference. The MCC is the real deal, ladies and gentlemen. Listen to the interview of Sahail Raza on Ron Breakenridge's radio program at 2008/05/23.

There's tons of other good stuff about the Muslim world, too, at this site. Anyone interested in the promotion of democracy in general would do well to bookmark this page and refer to it from time to time.

At 2007/12/17 there's a link to an press release from the Canadian Coalition for Democracies in which spokespersons from CCD have this to say about aid to the Palestinians:

"Further, Canadians have poured close to half a billion tax dollars into the Palestinian regime, only to see it spent on ever-increasing incitement and hatred, and disappear in corruption, theft and a bloated bureaucracy"

"The governing charter of the Palestinian Authority clearly states that "Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine" (article 9) and "Nor do Jews constitute a single nation with an identity of its own" (article 20).

The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade -- an affiliate of Fatah, the party of the Palestinian Authority -- is an illegal terror organization under Canadian law, and has proudly claimed credit for the murder of Israelis, Americans and fellow Palestinians, all in keeping with Fatah's charter. The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade was among the first to take credit for a suicide bombing by a female. A Canadian who directly or indirectly funds such an illegal organization can be prosecuted and jailed, and the same prohibition must apply to our foreign aid.

"Without tough and transparent conditions, Canadian aid will continue to move the Middle East further from peace," said Naresh Raghubeer, CCD's executive director. "Until the PA changes its governing charter to recognize Israel, until violence against Israel stops for at least two years, and until the PA ends genocidal incitement in its schools and media, Canada must withhold its funding."

"The argument is made that the government of Israel supports our funding of the PA," added Gordon. "Canada's foreign policy must be determined by elected representatives in Ottawa, not in Jerusalem.

"Billions in foreign aid to the Palestinians have succeeded only in creating more violence, hatred and dependency. We hope that the tough conditions set by Minister Bernier will mark the end of an aid strategy that has for decades denied the Palestinians their right to modernity, self-sufficiency, dignity, and peace."

Me too!!